Chair of the Oireachtas Media Committee and local TD, Niamh Smyth is calling for list of Top 100 earners at RTÉ to be published in full. Deputy Smyth has asked unions at RTÉ to call on its members to waive privacy rights to allow them to be published. According to the local TD, as the crisis within the public broadcaster intensifies, it is "imperative" that there is "transparency" regarding all exit packages.
Speaking on this morning's Joe Finnegan Show, Deputy Smyth believes that the lack of disclosure, particularly concerning confidentiality clauses, presents a significant barrier. She added that RTÉ must "actively work" to rebuild trust with the public by demonstrating a commitment to transparent governance and administration.
"RTE must actively work to rebuild trust with the public by demonstrating a commitment to transparent governance and administration," explained Deputy Smyth. "This debacle started eight months ago, and we were promised transparency. Full disclosure of exit packages is fundamental to achieving this." Deputy Smyth also called for visibility on the legal advice received around confidentiality, and questioned why the RTÉ board would approve an exit package that included a confidentiality clause. She continued; "The policy of 'confidentiality clause' only services to perpetuate a policy of secrecy and does nothing to instil confidence in the public of an open and transparent RTÉ. The future funding of RTÉ can only be decided through a prism of full disclosure of all financial transactions including redundancies and resignations."
